In situ Growth of SiC Nanofibers on Carbon Fibers

SiC nanofibers were synthesized on the carbon fiber fabrics by chemical vapor reactions. The morphology, microstructure and crystallinity of SiC nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Results indicated that the large quantity of SiC nanofibers can be sythesized on the carbon fibers. The different morphologis were observed for the SiC nanofibers synthesized at different temperatures, but the diameters was almost same, which is about 100 similar to 300 nm. Based on the synthesis process and the characterization results, the vapor-solid (VS) reaction process are dominant mechanism for the growth of SiC nanofibers.